HomePennsylvaniaMercer County
Mercer County, Pennsylvania: commercial real estate data.
Mercer County, Pennsylvania had an estimated 108,140 residents on July 1, 2024, down 2.3 percent since the 2020 census base of 110,656, across 673 square miles. County output reached $5.51 bn in 2024, 2,611 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 124 7(a) approvals worth $34.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Mercer County
How many people live in Mercer County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024109,257
- Households46,524
- Average household size2.35
- Median household income$59,976
- Median age45.1
- Median gross rent$843 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$164,000
- Home value to household income2.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher25.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over78,478
- Population under 1820,692
- Share under 1818.9 percent
- Population 65 and over25,271
- Share 65 and over23.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6463,294
- Civilian labor force49,653
- Unemployment rate5.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over56.1 percent
- Rank by population among Pennsylvania counties30th of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included574th of 3,222
Mercer County is the 30th largest of 67 Pennsylvania counties by population. A median home costs 2.7 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.1 percent against 18.9 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Mercer County
Is Mercer County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024108,140
- Census 2020 base population110,656
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.27 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-379
- Births, 2024940
- Deaths, 20241,490
- Natural change, 2024-550
- Net domestic migration, 2024139
- Net international migration, 202443
- Total net migration, 2024182
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024290
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2566th of 3,144
The county has lost 2.27 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Mercer County
Where are people moving to Mercer County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,880
- People arriving, from those returns3,237
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,972
- Net household movement-92
- Adjusted gross income arriving$108.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$6.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$57,788
- Average income of a leaving household$51,886
- Largest single originTrumbull County (170 households)
- Largest single destinationTrumbull County (234 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trumbull County | 170 | 264 | $6.7 m |
| Lawrence County | 164 | 290 | $8.3 m |
| Allegheny County | 158 | 254 | $15.7 m |
| Butler County | 155 | 256 | $9.6 m |
| Crawford County | 131 | 237 | $5.8 m |
| Venango County | 106 | 199 | $5.1 m |
| Erie County | 53 | 96 | $2.8 m |
| Beaver County | 40 | 66 | $2.0 m |
Households arriving report $5,902 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Trumbull County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Mercer County
What is the Mercer County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$5.51 bn
- County GDP, 2023$5.30 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.2 percent
- GDP change over five years28.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Pennsylvania areas BEA publishes30th of 67
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes674th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$50,475
Output grew 4.2 percent in the latest year and 28.9 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Mercer County
Employment by industry in Mercer County
- Covered employment, annual average43,239
- Establishments reporting2,857
- Average annual pay$54,120
- Average weekly wage$1,041
- Health care and social assistance, employment8,570
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$52,747
- Manufacturing, employment8,214
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$68,322
- Retail trade, employment5,688
- Retail trade, average annual pay$32,185
- Accommodation and food services, employment3,935
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$19,732
- Transportation and warehousing, employment1,604
- Other services, except public administration, employment1,573
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 8,570 | 503 | $52,747 |
| Manufacturing | 8,214 | 200 | $68,322 |
| Retail trade | 5,688 | 418 | $32,185 |
| Accommodation and food services | 3,935 | 262 | $19,732 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,604 | 80 | $65,545 |
| Other services, except public administration | 1,573 | 266 | $30,964 |
| Construction | 1,487 | 218 | $64,441 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,420 | 132 | $98,877 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 8,570 jobs, 19.8 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Mercer County
How many businesses are in Mercer County?
- Establishments, all industries2,611
- Employment at those establishments40,948
- Annual payroll$1.95 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Mercer County
Building permits in Mercer County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202476
- Declared construction value permitted$21.1 m
- Single family units authorized64
- Multifamily units authorized12
- Multifamily share of units15.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$277,313
- Units authorized per 1,000 households1.6
Single-family homes are 84.2 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Mercer County
SBA loans in Mercer County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded124
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$34.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$278,708
- Median 7(a) approval$100,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$794,270
- Largest single approval$3,461,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)941
- Jobs per approval7.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active26
- Distinct industries receiving approvals61
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer11.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms14
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter107
- Franchise loans10
- Franchise share of approvals8.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countResidential Remodelers (9)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (68)
- 504 approvals recorded17
- 504 gross approval dollars$14.3 m
- Average 504 approval$839,294
- Median 504 approval$619,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval10.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.0
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$48.8 m
The average approval of $278,708 sits well above the median of $100,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 11.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Mercer County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Mercer County
Do SBA loans in Mercer County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded34
- Paid in full32
- Charged off2
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans5.9 percent
- Status: Paid in full32
- Status: Cancelled12
- Status: Exempt from disclosure72
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed6
Of the 34 loans that have reached a final outcome, 5.9 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Mercer County
SBA lending by place in Mercer County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending17
- Hermitage, approvals28
- Mercer, approvals20
- Greenville, approvals15
- Grove City, approvals14
- Sharpsville, approvals13
- Sharon, approvals10
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Hermitage | 28 | $6,477,400 |
| Mercer | 20 | $2,714,600 |
| Greenville | 15 | $4,477,000 |
| Grove City | 14 | $2,963,700 |
| Sharpsville | 13 | $12,489,700 |
| Sharon | 10 | $1,405,000 |
| West Middlesex | 5 | $445,000 |
| Sandy Lake | 4 | $1,726,500 |
| 9 other borrower cities | 15 | $1,860,900 |
Hermitage accounts for 28 approvals against 20 in Mercer. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Mercer County
How large is Mercer County?
- Land area673 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Pennsylvania counties33rd of 67
- Width, east to west27 mi
- Height, north to south29 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land162
- Establishments per square mile3.88
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Mercer County
Flood risk in Mercer County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book48
- Of those, participating in the NFIP46
- NFIP participation rate95.8 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Mercer County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The EPA places Mercer County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 95.8 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Mercer County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Mercer County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024109,257
- Households46,524
- Average household size2.35
- Median household income$59,976
- Median age45.1
Common questions
Mercer County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Mercer County, Pennsylvania?
The Census Bureau estimates 108,140 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 109,257, in 46,524 households, ranking 30th of 67 Pennsylvania counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Mercer County's population growing?
The population has fallen 2.27 percent since the 2020 census base of 110,656, to 108,140 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 940 births against 1,490 deaths, with net migration of 182. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Mercer County?
$59,976. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $164,000, which is 2.7 times income, and median gross rent is $843 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Mercer County?
2,611 establishments, employing 40,948 people with an annual payroll of $1.95 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Mercer County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 8,570 jobs, 19.8 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 43,239 jobs at an average annual pay of $54,120, or $1,041 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Mercer County?
124 7(a) approvals totaling $34.6 m since FY2020, across 26 lenders, with a median approval of $100,000, plus 17 504 approvals worth $14.3 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Mercer County get paid back?
Of the 34 loans that have reached a final outcome, 32 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge-off rate of 5.9 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Mercer County?
76 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $21.1 m. Multifamily was 15.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Mercer County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Mercer County come from?
The largest single origin is Trumbull County, with 170 households. Arriving households report an average income of $57,788 against $51,886 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Mercer County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Mercer County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Mercer County
Cities and places in Mercer.
19 Census places lie wholly or partly in Mercer County. All 19 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hermitage | city | 16,041 | 28 | Wholly in this county |
| Sharon | city | 12,936 | 10 | Wholly in this county |
| Grove City | borough | 7,830 | 14 | Wholly in this county |
| Greenville | borough | 5,523 | 15 | Wholly in this county |
| Farrell | city | 4,199 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sharpsville | borough | 4,187 | 13 | Wholly in this county |
| Mercer | borough | 2,006 | 20 | Wholly in this county |
| Reynolds Heights | CDP | 1,845 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| West Middlesex | borough | 980 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Wheatland | borough | 819 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Stoneboro | borough | 785 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Sandy Lake | borough | 783 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Jamestown | borough | 683 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Latonka | CDP | 651 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Clark | borough | 585 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Fredonia | borough | 314 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| New Lebanon | borough | 199 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Jackson Center | borough | 172 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sheakleyville | borough | 100 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 9 of the county's 124 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Mercer County, the largest being Transfer (3), New Wilmington (2), Adamsville (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.